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White House initiative aims to increase faith groups' presence in government

The White House said agencies and executive departments that do not have a faith-based office will have a designated liaison to the new initiative.

President Trump signed an executive order on May 3, the National Day of Prayer, aiming to give faith groups a stronger voice within the federal government and serve as a watchdog for government overreach on religious liberty.

The White House Faith and Op­portunity Initiative’s goal is “to ensure that the faith-based and community organizations that form the bedrock of our society have strong advocates in the White House and throughout the Federal Government,” a White House document reads.

The White House said those working on the initiative will provide policy recommendations from faith-based and community programs on “more effective solutions to poverty” and inform the administration of “any failures of the executive branch to comply with religious liberty protections under law.”